It Works!® started in 2001 and is now debt-free and expanding all over the world. But no matter how big we grow, we'll always do things at It Works! our way: the It Works! way.

1995 FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

It Works! was born out of Mark & Cindy Pentecost’s passion to offer families like yours the opportunity to dream big, to begin living life in your own terms—because they too had those dreams once themselves.

Long before the founding of It Works! Global, Mark was a high school teacher and basketball coach in the small town of Allegan, Michigan. Cindy was a stay-at-home mom with their three children, a job of the utmost importance that the family took great pride in her doing. They were rich in love and filled with dreams, but struggling to make ends meet financially.

So Mark & Cindy devised a plan: an extra $500 a month, to be earned through a home-based business opportunity in the telecommunications industry.

After months of evening hours dedicated to their new side business, the Pentecosts’ earnings grew far beyond the goal they had originally set. After a few years, Mark became a top-ten earner in the company, bought the family’s freedom, and began to dream of the next big challenge: helping other families do the same. They weren’t sure how they would do it yet, but the seed had been planted for It Works! Global.

2001 THE ULTIMATE BODY APPLICATOR

"The biggest challenge in this industry—and really the worldwide market—is to offer an uncommon solution, a true original, that captivates people and offers them something they never thought possible before. When we found the Ultimate Body Applicator, we knew we had something special to share with the world.” - Mark Pentecost, CEO It Works! Global

To this day, It Works!’ first product is still its most popular: The Ultimate Body Applicator. The site-specific body contouring treatment has been in the hands of celebrities at Hollywood events and at the doorsteps of people like you all over the world—exclusively available through It Works! Global.
It all started when Mark Pentecost received a call from Pam Sowder (now It Works! Chief Networking Officer) raving about a product that was an alternative to the growing trend for more drastic measures like cosmetic surgeries or constricting shapewear.

When the Pentecosts traveled to try this seemingly unbelievable product, Mark recalls, “I watched my wife try it. She was ecstatic with the results, and I watched her call her girlfriend right away to tell her what had happened. Her girlfriend said that she wanted to try it, and they hung up. It wasn't 30 seconds later, her girlfriend called back and said, ‘My daughter was listening, and she wants one for her chin. Is there something for the chin?' That was when I knew that we had a perfect product for direct selling, a product that people would be excited to share with their friends and family."

Since then, the Ultimate Body Applicator has become a global phenomenon, and Pam Sowder now travels all over the world to meet with distributors, give hands-on training and support, and share the Ultimate Body Applicator.

2001 THE MIND BEHIND THE MAGIC

A product so special as the Ultimate Body Applicator could only come from a mind that is both brilliant and passionate about the use of safe, natural ingredients: Luis Mijares. Luis, the formulator behind the It Works! body contouring and skin care products, has been a friend and business partner to Mark Pentecost since their first introduction in 2001.

Luis' passion for research and development in the skin care, nutritional, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries began when he was a child, learning natural remedies from his grandmother in Mexico. His abundant credentials, including his experience as the CEO of a top pharmaceutical company, his international reknown as an herbalist and university educator of phytotherapy (the uses of plants for medicinal purposes), along with his keen personal interest in natural solutions made Luis the ideal candidate for the It Works! Product Development Specialist.

2005 THE IT WORKS! PREMIUM SUPPLEMENTS LINE

The It Works! premium supplements line began when Mark made a routine visit to his doctor’s office several years ago. On this visit, Mark’s doctor instructed him to start taking a daily multi-vitamin supplement. But when Mark asked his doctor which one he should take, he was taken aback by the physician’s response: “I don’t know, but I wouldn’t take a cheap one. You only live once!"

"I didn't know what to do with that," recalls Mark. "You want to know that you're putting the very best things in your body, so I began the long and hard search for the best multi-vitamin on the market."
Mark took a trip to a local nutrition store looking for answers. Sales people swarmed after him. Vitamins filled the shelves, all claiming different benefits. Over an hour later, Mark left feeling more confused than when he had gone in, overwhelmed with options. Next, he began asking his friends which vitamins they were taking. Some made their choices because the vitamin had a nice package. Others simply looked for a mid-priced vitamin, unsure of what exactly they were putting in their bodies. And others picked up the most expensive item, hoping that it was, in fact, the very best for them.

"The more I got into the education of a vitamin, I started learning more about what's all natural versus synthetic," says Mark. "A lot of times you'd find that a product might have 100-200 ingredients, but there wasn't enough of each ingredient for the product to actually do what the clinicals showed they could do. You want something foundational that you know has the key ingredients to help keep us healthy and be the best we can be."

Eventually, Mark's search brought him to meet Don VerHulst, MD, a doctor with an extensive background in researching the effects of nutrition and natural remedies on today's common health issues. Mark and Dr. Don worked together to kick off the It Works! premium dietary supplements line with It's Vital, an advanced formula multi-vitamin, mineral, and enzyme supplement with all the known nutrients the body needs on a daily basis.

In his pursuit to find the best vitamin to keep his own body healthy, Mark has made it possible for you to have access to the same superior formula for yourself and your family. This standard of providing the best quality supplements on the market has carried through all our product formulations and remains the driving force behind the It Works! dietary supplements line.

Today, the It Works supplements line is a comprehensive collection of nutritional solutions for real people like you to help you combat the elements and stay healthy, and Dr. Don travels around the world with Chief Networking Officer Pam Sowder to teach on the benefits of the It Works! supplements and spread his message of ten easy steps to better health.

We proudly stand behind our commitment to nutritional supplements that contain the highest quality ingredients, offering you real, life-changing results at affordable prices. Whether you’re looking to reduce stress, lose weight, get top-notch nutrition, regulate your digestive system, or turn back the hands of time from the inside out, there is a solution for you in the It Works! supplements line.

2009 GROWING THROUGH A TOUGH ECONOMY

The economic crisis that began in 2009 presented many families and businesses across the world with devastating cirumstances. We at It Works! feel very fortunate to have been able to be a source of hope for families in need during such difficult years through our steadfast business opportunity.

Despite the grim economy, It Works! became debt-free in 2009, and sales began to reach unprecendented heights.

2010 REACHING INTERNATIONAL MARKETS

In 2010, It Works! expanded into Australia and select areas of Europe, and the company continued to break new records throughout the year.

"We have been blessed with products and an opportunity that not only withstood the financial market of recent years, but sales have skyrocketed from 2009 onward," says Mark. "We want to pour hope and goodness into people's lives through our product solutions and the It Works! opportunity, and we continue to be honored to be able to touch the lives of more and more people every year."

2011 A NEW HEADQUARTERS & FAMILY DESTINATION

In 2011, It Works! Global made the move from Grand Rapids, Michigan where it all began to a beautiful new home in Bradenton, Florida. The corporate headquarters is nestled in a thriving community, just 20 minutes away from multiple world-class beaches and only a short mile down the road from It Works!' new sister company: Stoneybrook Golf Club of Bradenton.

Always ready for a competitive game of golf, Mark had long held the dream of owning his own golf course. But a larger part of that dream was to have a place to share laughter and good times with the It Works! family, both corporate and distributors alike.
"It's been so much fun to have distributors out for leadership meetings at the beach, to host games at Stoneybrook, and to have everyone out here for company-wide Green Carpet Days where we treat distributors from all over the world to a good time," says Mark. "We look forward to many years of fun and fellowship at our Florida facilities."

The last ten years have been full of great memories, but we're just getting started. The next ten years will be about you and your family, the differences you will see in your own life and the changes you will impact in the lives of others.

See It Works! through the eyes of some of our distributors who have been with us for years, check out the It Works! opportunity, or shop our amazing product line. We look forward to meeting you and hearing your story next!

2012 It Works! reaches $100 million sales goal

It Works! reaches $100 million sales goal, then doubles it. The G.O.O.D. bonus and new mantra “Debt Free Is the New Sexy” are introduced to align the field with the corporate philosophy of debt freedom. With a 690 percent growth rate over three years, the company plans new, larger corporate headquarters.

2013 It Works! reaches $450 million mark

A history of exponential growth continues as It Works! reaches the $450 million mark. The leadership team continues to focus on creating jobs while being the beacon of hope for those seeking to improve their health, appearance and lifestyle.

2014 It Works! finishes construction on new headquarters

It Works! completes construction on its new waterfront corporate headquarters. The “re-dreaming” of 2013’s Mission Possible becomes reality for many It Works! Global distributors as they begin to live a life of friendship, fun and, most important of all, FREEDOM!